1st visiting helper and 1st inspiration...

We had our first visitor come out and help for a bit last Thursday.  It was, of course, MY ONE AND ONLY...Aunt Elaine! 

Which brings me to my next topic...Jessie Fay Hilton...My dad and Aunt Elaine's momma...To her grandkids, she was Mimi.  Mimi is the first person I remember to have a passion for gardening.  She was always growing something and her yard was filled with all different types of flowers, each having their own story behind how they got placed in her flower garden.  Of course, my favorite item Mimi grew was CHERRY TOMATOES.  She would let us pick and eat them straight from the vine.  Nothing tasted better...My aunt Elaine reminds me so much of Mimi.   She also has a passion for gardening and can always share an old story. Thanks, Elaine...

Mimi is also the only person I knew that would find a rock somewhere and see something special in it.  She would date it and save it.  She knew how to slow down and see the "interesting" in something most people would consider just a plain old rock.  In many cases, my dad also reminds me so much of Mimi.  When we were out in the garden the other day, dad showed me a rock I might want to put on this blog as more proof the Earth used to be covered with water, including where my garden sits.  The rock below has an entire shell imprint...

We didn't write a date on it :) but I thought I'd share since dad pointed it out and saw the "interesting" in this rock.  Thanks, Dad...

I miss Mimi so much but she impacted my life (and so many others) in such a big way and I have so many great memories of her.  It is comforting to have my dad and Aunt Elaine to carry on her legacy and keep her spirit alive in me.
 

Still pickin'...

Since my last post, we've had some rain and snow so it slowed out rock picking process down.  However, since the end of last week, we have picked our 4th & 5th tractor bucket full of rocks.  We thought we might be nearing an end after the 4th load but then my dad tilled the garden at a diagonal.  This revealed an entirely new round of large rocks! Who would've thought just tilling the dirt in a different direction would do that?  Although the rock picking process seems like it will never end (and it probably won't) we keep reminding ourselves with each rock we remove--it is ONE LESS rock that will ever be in our garden again. Hey...when you've been spending as much time in the dirt removing the amount of rocks we have, you gotta try to think of something optimistic!

Brett has been having a lot of fun being outside so much.  He brought his small sand bucket and shovel out to the garden the other day and filled it with about 6 rocks then carried it over and dumped it in the tractor bucket.  What a helper...He then wanted to sit on the back of Papa's truck and "take a break"...Then he was ready to go for a ride in the tractor :-)

             

Stylin'...

I've never been much for making sure I wear the most fashionable clothes, but when I see something I like (and I have a coupon)...then I'll usually buy it...If the price is right, that is!  Tonight, I went to Old Navy and saw these super cute red rain boots, which I thought would come in handy when I'm walking through the dirt and mud in our garden this year.  No, it wasn't a necessity, but I had a coupon that I couldn't let go to waste :-) so I bought them.  Kately (our 6 year old) took one look at them and said, "Those are cute mommy...You know if you wore some tight pants and a shirt with a jean jacket out in the garden, you would look really stylish!"  I said, "Hmm..I think you're right...Maybe I'll do that!"  She, then proceeded to tell me, "If you flip one of your legs up behind you, it would be even cuter!"  I looked at Ryan and he said, "You'd look like a Barbie gardener!"

I love Kately's imagination and ideas...She always can make me smile!  I can't wait to see all the great things she does in her life.  As long as I have her around, at least I know she'll try to keep me fashionable! Well...BRING ON THE MUD!

Rocks...Part 3!!!

For those of you who might be reading this blog who aren't actively involved with this garden...you probably can't understand my excitement when I say...Rock Load #3 was completed this afternoon!  It's always a great feeling to send another load of those babies away...for good!  We have found some smaller rocks with fossils and dad handed one to Kately yesterday and the first thing she said when she looked at it was, "Hmm...I bet no one's ever seen this rock before!" Oh...the wise words from my 6 year old :) Love her so much...We had to make sure and get a picture of her and "Papa" with the rock...

These pictures would all look the same if we didn't change up the people in the picture, so dad suggested I get in the "3rd load of rocks" picture.  So here's proof that I am involved, too! You should notice my eyes...yes...this is the glassy look one gets when they look at too many rocks! Ha...Well guess what? Dad tilled again, so the soil is getting, in my words, "fluffier"...but we will have atleast another bucket load of rocks! Stay tuned...More EXCITING things to come! :0)